1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to surgical devices and, more particularly, relates to a surgical portal apparatus incorporating a rotating seal adapted for use during a minimally invasive surgical procedure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Minimally invasive surgical procedures, including endoscopic, arthroscopic, and laparoscopic procedures, permit surgery to be performed on organs, tissues, and vessels far removed from an opening within the tissue. These procedures generally require that any instrumentation inserted into the body be sealed, e.g., provisions may be made to ensure that gases do not enter or exit the body through the incision as, for example, in surgical procedures utilizing insufflating or irrigating fluids. These procedures typically employ surgical instruments which are introduced into the body through a cannula. The cannula has a seal assembly associated therewith. The seal assembly is intended to form a substantially fluid tight seal about the instrument to preserve the integrity of the established surgical site.
Seals may be limited by their ability to sustain a seal when it is moved off-axis relative to a central axis of a cannula. Seals may also be limited by their ability to sustain their integrity when an inserted surgical instrument is angulated. Such motions can create a “cat eye” or crescent shaped gap in the seal that can result in a loss of seal integrity. Additional problems include the flexibility of the seal in maintaining its integrity when both small diameter and large diameter surgical instruments are used.